Mouth protector



July 9, 1963 F. P. MOFFETT 3,096,761

MOUTH PROTECTOR Filed Sept. 18, 1961 44 39 38 37 IF I IE- B INVENTOR.FRED P. MOFFETT IE'I IE- I BY ATTORNE Y6 United States Patent Of Free3,096,761 Patented July 9, 1963 3,096,761 MOUTH PROTECTOR Fred P.Moifett, 60 Quail Ave., Berkeley, Calif. Filed Sept. 18, 1961, Ser. No.138,918 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-436) My invention relates generally to mouthprotectors and more particularly is directed to such devices as areadapted for mounting on the users teeth to prevent injuries to theteeth, lips, temporo-mandibular joint and its articulating capsule, andother regions of the mouth.

In providing a protector for use in human mouths of different sizesthere presently exists a problem in achieving a'tight secure fit withoutsacrificing maximum comfort to the wearer. The patent for a UniversalMouth Protector, No. 2,966,908, of which I am a co-inventor, discloses adevice capable of fitting different size mouths and includes means toprevent dislodgement of the protector. Now the present invention isconcerned with improvements upon the prior patented device as generallyregards the comfort of the wearer, and more particularly with respect tosubstantially eliminating irritation to the users gums and soft tissuesof the palate. The novel features of my invention enable the instantmouth protector to be worn comfortably as well as to be firmly securedin the users mouth.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide anovel and improved mouth protector adapted to be worn with greatcomfort.

It is another object of the invention to provide a mouth protector whichmay be worn without causing irritation to the soft tissues of thepalate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mouth protectoradapted to fit securely in the users mouth, yet which does not in sodoing cause irritation to the gum tissue.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mouth protector adaptedfor use in human mouths of different 'sizes and shapes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector capable ofmounting on either the upper or lower teeth of the user.

' Still another object of the invention is to provide a mouth protectorwhich affords full protection to the wearers teeth, lips, and cheeks.

An even further object is to provide a protector adapted to preventinjury to the temporo-mandibular joint and its articulating capsule.

Yet another object is to provide a mouth protector adapted for use byorthodontic patients having braces or the like on their teeth.

A still further object is to provide a mouth protector which is notreadily dislodged, even when the jaws are separated, thereby affordingfree and easy mouth breathing.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustratedin the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by thesaid drawing and description may be adopted with in the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a mouth protector embodying the novelfeatures of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the mouth protector shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a frontal view of the mouth protector.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional side view taken through the plane 44 inFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional top view taken through the plane 55 inFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view taken through the plane 6-6 in FIGURE1.

FIGURE 7 illustrates in elevation a portion of the inner wall of theinstant protector as it would appear if laid out on a planar surface.

FIGURE 8 illustrates in elevation a portion of the outer wall of theinstant mouth protector as it would appear if laid out on a planarsurface.

Referring now to the drawings for the details of my invention, there isshown a mouth protector 11 havinga generally U-shaped trough 12, thetrough including a floor 13, an inner wall 14 and an outer wall 16. -Itwill be noted that my invention provides no beads, ribs, or the likealong either the inner or outer wall, but instead adapts both walls withsmooth inner surfaces whereby irritation to the gum tissues isprevented. As is described hereinafter, it is the novel shape andcontour given to the walls of the instant protector which provides themeans of achieving a secure fit. In this manner the present inventionaffords smooth surfaces to contact the gum tissue of the mouth, therebyproviding maximum comfort, yet nevertheless adapts the instant protectorto be retained securely on either the upper or lower teeth of thewearer.

It is noted at the outset that my invention is in many ways similar tothe device disclosed in the aforementioned patent. The protector 11 ismade of a flexible material, preferably a vinyl resin plastic, and hasan open ended trough whereby the device can be manipulated to fit overthe teeth of different size mouths. With regard to the floor 13 of theinstant protector, it is seen in FIGURES 2 and 4 that the thicknessthereof increases gradually from the rear portion to be occupied by themolars to the frontal portion to be occupied by the incisors, thisincrease being conventional and such as to conform to the normallyexisting angle of approach of the upper and lower jaws. In this manner asimultaneous engagement with the floor is achieved as regards the molarsand incisors.

Although other features of my invention may appear similar to those ofthe prior patented device, it will be appreciated in view of thefollowing description that critical differences exist as regards theexact configuration, size and shape of the instant device. Because oftheir great importance in achieving the objects set forth above, muchattention will be directed towards the various dimensions involved inspecifically defining the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Looking now at FIGURE 6, it is seen how the present invention achievesthe desired gripping action to keep the protector secured in placewithout causing discomfort to the wearer. There is shown a cross-sectionof the trough 12 in the rear portion thereof which fits over the personsdouble-teeth, it being noted that a secure fit over these is importantto properly retain the protector. Included in the outer wall 16 is alower portion 17 and an upper portion 18, the upper portion beinginclined inwardly towards the inner wall 14. When the protector is fitover the teeth the outer wall has its smooth surface bearing against thegums whereby the protector is prevented from sliding down. Note,however, that the inclination of the outer wall by itself may not besuflicient to achieve a sufiicient bearing force to retain theprotector. Hence I have provided as a novel feature of my invention alower wall portion 17 of increased thickness with relation to the upperwall portion 18, whereby the upper portion is maintained in its inclinedposition with greater resiliency.

In more detail, the lower wall portion 17 illustrated in FIGURE 6 isadapted with a inch thickness, the wall 16 then gradually taperingupwardly to a inch thickness in the upper wall portion 18. In a similarmanner, the inner wall 14 also includes a lower portion 19 and an upperportion 21, and in the rear wall portion shown in FIGURE 6 the lowerportion 19 is provided with a inch thickness which then tapers into theupper wall portion 21 having a inch thickness. Note also that the innerwall 14 is preferably inclined slightly towards the outer wall 16 toprovide additional gripping action, but this angle is made small inorder that the inner wall be allowed to conform to the inner gums whichincline toward the roof of the mouth.

In a similar manner to that described with reference to FIGURE 6, bothwalls of the instant protector are characterized generally throughouttheir lengths by a thicker bottom portion which tapers upwardly into arelatively thinner top portion. In combination with the inclined upperportion of the outer wall, this feature enables the instant device to besecurely retained with a smooth snug fit, and eliminates the necessityfor any head or ribbing along the top of the walls which often tend tocut into the gums or otherwise cause irritation.

With the foregoing features in mind, reference is now made to FIGUREwherein is shown a cross-sectional top view of the bottom portions ofboth walls. As regards the outer wall 16, the rear double-teeth portions22 thereof are made about inch thick, as noted above, the wall 16 thentapering gradually towards the frontal single-teeth portion 23 whereinthe thickness is reduced to about 7 of an inch. Similarly, the bottom ofthe inner wall 14 is about inch thick in the rear portions 24 and thenis reduced to about 7 inch thick in the frontal portion 26.

Still referring to FIGURE 5, the spacing between the walls as measuredadjacent the floor 13 is next described. Noting that the regions betweenthe walls 14 and 16 are designated by the numerals 27, 28, 29, 31 and32, the corresponding lateral dimensions between the walls in theseregions are respectively, in inches, and Hence the trough 12 is made toproperly conform to the decreasing tooth size as evidenced inprogressing forwardly from the molars to the incisors.

As regards now the upper regions of the trough 12, the lateral spacingas measured between the upper wall portions is about inch in the rearwall portions, and reduces to about inch in the frontal wall portions.The upper rear portion of the outer wall 16 is about inch thick, asnoted above, and this upper wall thickness is then gradually reduced toabout inch in the frontal wall portion. Similarly, the inch thick upperrear portion of the inner wall 14 tapers down to about 1 inch in theupper frontal wall portion.

Thus it is seen that the walls of the instant protector are adapted tobear inwardly against the gums, this bearing pressure being reinforcedby the increased wall thickness in the lower wall portions.

It is also noted that the increased thickness along the bottom wallportions of the instant protector serves a further purpose in additionto enhancing the gripping action. More particularly, a persons teeth arecapable of biting with a pressure of 300 pounds per square inch, thisforce often having a tendency to split the wall from the floor portion.Thus the instant protector being strengthened along the juncture of thewall and floor portions is afforded greater durability in this regard.

Another problem existing with previous mouth protectors is that theinner wall extends too high in the frontal portion whereby it tends tocut into the soft tissue of the palate, or the roof of the mouth, thuscausing discomfort to the user. Looking now at FIGURE 7 it is seen howthe height "contour of the inner wall 14 of the instant inventioneliminates this difficulty. Progressing rearwardly from the extremefrontal region, there are designated subsequent regions 34, 36, 37 and38, the regions being spaced inch The corresponding wall heights atthese regions are respectively, in inches, V and The wall then rises toa peak height of 5 inch at the region 39, which is spaced about inchesfrom the extreme front region 33. Thus in an exacting manner, theinstant invention reduces the height of the inner wall along its frontalportion whereby the wall con forms more comfortably to the roof of theusers month.

As regards the outer wall 16 of the instant invention, its general shapeis similar to that found in conventional mouth protectors, there being alower frontal portion 41 which allows clearance for the labial frenum ofthe mouth, and another reduced height portion 42 located incorrespondence ,with the buccal muscle attachments in the mouth.However, because of the novel gripping action of the instant protectorit is possible for the outer wall to be lower in its highest portionsthan the outer wall of conventional devices, this being important as itprovides an additional source of comfort to the wearer. Moreparticularly, with reference to FIGURE 8 the outer wall 16 is shown ashaving regions designated by the numerals 42, 43, 44 and 46, theseregions being characterized respectively by well heights, in inches, ofand These heights are correspondingly lower than those found inconventional mouth protectors.

Because of the reduced overall height of the outer wall in addition tothe smooth Wall surfaces, the instant mouth protector is adapted to fitover the lower teeth of the wearer, as well as the upper ones. Incontact sports such as football, it is often necessary for a player, forexample the quarterback, to speak out loud while under conditions inwhich mouth protection is needed. Inasmuch as it has been found that theuse of a mouth protector on the bottom teeth enables the wearer to speakmore clearly and freely, it is seen that the present invention affordsanother advantage heretofore not possible with conventional upper teethprotectors.

What is claimed is:

1. A mouth protector comprising a generally U-shaped trough formed ofresilient material and adapted to fit over a persons teeth, said troughincluding a floor, an inner wall along the inner edge of said floor, andan outer wall along the outer edge of said floor, said outer wallincluding a frontal portion being about 7 inch thick adjacent said floorand tapering upwardly to a thickness of about inch in the upper frontalportion, said outer wall further including a rear portion extending fromsaid frontal portion and being about inch thick adjacent said floor,said rear outer wall portion tapering upwardly to a thickness of aboutinch in its upper portion, said inner wall including a frontal portionbeing about inch thick adjacent said floor [and tapering upwardly to athickness of about & inch in its upper portion, said inner wall furtherincluding a rear portion extending from said frontal portion and beingabout inch thick adjacent said floor, said rear inner wall portiontapering upwardly to a thickness of about 7 in its upper portion, saidinner walls being spaced apart about inch adjacent said floor in theirconfronting rear portions, said upper rear outer wall portion beinginclined towards said inner wall to the extent that said inner and outerwalls are spaced apart about inch as measured between the confrontingupper rear wall portions, said floor gradually narrowing in width fromits rear portion towards its frontal portion with said inner and outerwalls being spaced apart about inch adjacent said floor in theirconfinonting extreme iinontal portions, and said inner and outer wallsbeing spaced apart about inch as measured between their confrontingupper fnontal portions.

2. A month protector as in claim 1 characterized by said inontal portionhaving a height of about inch at its lowest medial pontion and aduallyincreasing in height nearwardly in along said inner wall for about inchto a position where the maximum height is about inch.

3. A month protector as in claim 1 further characterized by said outerwall being no more than /2 inch in height at its highest point, [andhaving relatively low wall height of about inch adjacent its medialfront portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSCathcart Ian. 3, 1961 3,016,052 Zubren Jan. 9, 1962

1. A MOUTH PROTECTOR COMPRISING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED TROUGH FORMED OFRESILIENT MATERIAL AND ADAPTED TO FIT OVER A PERSON''S TEETH, SAIDTROUGH INCLUDING A FLOOR, AN INNER WALL ALONG THE INNER EDGE OF SAIDFLOOR, AND AN OUTER WALL ALONG THE OUTER EDGE OF SAID FLOOR, SAID OUTERWALL INCLUDING A FRONTAL PORTION BEING ABOUT 3/32 INCH THICK ADJACENTSAID FLOOR AND TAPERING UPWARDLY TO A THICKNESS OF ABOUT 2/32 INCH INTHE UPPER FRONTAL PORTION, SAID OUTER WALL FURTHER INCLUDING A REARPORTION EXTENDING FORM SAID FRONTAL PORTION AND BEING ABOUT 4/32 INCHTHICK ADJACENT SAID FLOOR, SAID REAR OUTER WALL PORTION TAPERINGUPWARDLY TO A THICKNESS OF ABOUT 3/32 INCH IN ITS UPPER PORTION, SAIDINNER WALL INCLUDING A FRONTAL PORTION BEING ABOUT 2/32 INCH THICKADJACENT SAID FLOOR AND TAPERING UPWARDLY TO A THICKNESS OF ABOUT 2/32INCH IN ITS UPPER PORTION, SAID INNER WALL FURTHER INCLUDING A REARPORTION EXTENDING FROM SAID FRONTAL PORTION AND BEING ABOUT 4/32 INCHTHICK ADJACENT SAID FLOOR, SAID REAR INNER WALL PORTION TAPERINGUPWARDLY TO A THICKNESS OF ABOUT 3/32 IN ITS UPPER PORTION, SAID INNERWALLS BEING SPACED APART ABOUT 8/32 INCH ADJACENT SAID FLOOR IN THEIRCONFRONTING REAR PORTIONS, SAID UPPER REAR OUTER WALL PORTION BEINGINCLINED TOWARDS SAID INNER WALL TO THE EXTENT THAT SAID INNER AND OUTERWALLS ARE SPACED APART ABOUT 4/32 INCH AS MEASURED BETWEEN THECONFRONTING UPPER REAR WALL PORTIONS, SAID FLOOR GRADUALLY NARROWING INWIDTH FROM ITS REAR PORTION TOWARDS ITS FRONTAL PORTION WITH SAID INNERAND OUTER WALL BEING SPACED APART ABOUT 2/32 INCH ADJACENT SAID FLOOR INTHEIR CONFRONTING EXTREME FRONTAL PORTIONS, AND SAID INNER AND OUTERWALLS BEING SPACED APART ABOUT 3/32 INCH AS MEASURED BETWEEN THEIRCONFRONTING UPPER FRONTAL PORTIONS.